Breakfast Archives - Page 5 of 15

Body Care, Breakfast, Dinner, How-To, Paleo

Are you Eating Complete Meals?

What are the makings of a complete meal? Before I began this health journey I thought anything could be considered a meal as long as it had enough calories. Chocolate chip cookies for breakfast? Why not? Salad with lemon juice only dressing for lunch? Entire bag of popcorn for dinner? That used to be my life and I was unsatisfied all the time, snacking constantly throughout the day. A meal must be complete in order to achieve satiety and eliminate that desperate urge for snacks four times per day.

A Complete Meal is Important for:
►Controlling your appetite
►Reducing stress and inflammation in the body
►Turning calories into energy
►Weight management
►Regulating hormones

A complete meal includes protein, healthy fat and good carbohydrates. The body requires a combination of fuel for maintenance and if it’s not receiving what it needs then your health suffers. All three work to build a balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’m a proponent of three full meals per day. This gives your body time between meals for rest from digestion. At each meal look down at your plate and ask yourself if you’ve included enough protein, fat and carbs. This way you’ll be less likely to snack.

3 components of a Complete Meal:
►Protein
►Fat
►Healthy Carbohydrate

Percentages of these three components will vary greatly among people. Just as caloric needs differ, percentage of daily protein, fat and carbohydrate follow that same principle. Much of it is trial and error. Listen closely to your body. Experiment. Are you stuffed after lunch? Try cutting down the portion size tomorrow. A food journal can be extremely helpful for monitoring your food and feelings. I kept one for a year before I found the right balance for my body. And that’s still changing. On days with more intense work-outs I up my carb intake. Check in with yourself every month or so and ask if your food or caloric needs require shifting.

Again, the percentage of each component will vary in each person. I personally aim for:
75 grams of protein; 1 can of tuna is 25 grams
50 grams of fat; about 1 tbsp at each meal
100 grams of healthy carbs; 2 cups of sweet potato is 60 grams

Protein, Fat and Healthy Carbohydrates
Quality is everything. That’s the first thing to remember. Focus on whole foods. Eating frozen chicken fingers and potatoes fried in soybean oil is not nourishing your body. All that’s doing is causing inflammation and storing fat. Below I’ve outlined proteins, fats and healthy carbs for creating complete meals.

Protein
Wild-caught fish, eggs from pasture-raised chickens, fish, seafood, any type of red or white meat such as beef and turkey, some nuts and seeds.

Fat
Any type of animal fat from pasture-raised animals, fatty fish like salmon, butter, ghee, olive oil, nut oils, coconut oil and palm oil. Keep in mind the proportion of fat naturally occurring in meat and fish.
Look to my Fats and Oil article for more guidance here.

Healthy Carbohydrates
All vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, rice, other grains and legumes. Focus first on vegetables and fill in with others.

Here are some examples of Complete Meals:

Breakfast:
►Omelette with 1-2 cups vegetables cooked in ½ tbsp olive oil
►Sausage and a smoothie with mango, kale, avocado and full-fat coconut milk
►Scrambled eggs and roasted sweet potatoes in ½ tbsp coconut oil

Lunch:
►Big salad topped with salmon and homemade lemon olive oil dressing
►Bun-less grass-fed beef burger topped with a variety vegetables cooked in ½ tbsp lard
►Chicken thighs and roasted root vegetables cooked in coconut oil

Dinner
►Beef chili and turnip greens cooked in lard
►Zucchini noodles with spaghetti sauce and meatballs cooked with beef fat
►Salmon fish cakes with salad greens, raw carrots and olive oil dressing

Resources:

1 Meal vs. 3 Meals, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/3-meals-a-day/#axzz3QnsBlrcD

Effects of dietary fatty acid composition from a high fat meal on satiety, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23688821

How Much Protein Should You Be Eating?, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-much-protein-should-you-be-eating/#axzz3Qnwz6tfx

What’s the ratio fat/protein/carbs Primal Sweet Spot of weight loss?, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread39504.html

Carb/Fat/Protein ratios for women: weight-loss (new to Paleo/Primal), https://www.paleohacks.com/newbie/carb-fat-protein-ratios-for-women-weight-loss-new-to-paleo-primal-22182

Appetizer, Breakfast, Dairy-free, Dinner, Egg Free, Gluten-free, Grain-free, No sugar, Nut-Free, Paleo, Side Dish

Down to Basics Pâté Recipe

When you want all the nutrients, you go for the holy grail, offal, or organ meats. I try to include them in my diet about once per week and my favorite way to prepare it is as pâté. Pair it with any raw vegetables and some apple slices and it’s a most satisfying meal. I make mine with lots of bacon and caramelized onions, which are always a winning combination.

I’ve pointed out the numerous health benefits that come with eating non-musculature parts of the animal in this post.

As I know so many are hesitate to jump on board the offal train, this recipe is for you. It’s more of a creamy, bacon onion dip. What’s threatening about that? Once you get past the name, it becomes incredibly delicious!

This recipe gets back the the basics of pâté, an easy one to keep on hand so that you eat your weekly dose of organ meats.

Down to Basics Pâté Recipe

2015-03-29 14:02:34

Yields 16

Basic pâté recipe with bacon and caramelized onions.

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs beef kidney or liver
4 pieces bacon - chopped
1 tbsp lard from bacon
2 cups onion - chopped
1 + ½ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp dry red wine
1 tsp ground marjoram
1 more tbsp lard

Instructions

Cook bacon over medium high heat until crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and pour off grease into separate bowl.
Use 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease to sauté the onions over medium heat for three minutes. Add 1 tsp salt, pepper, red wine and marjoram and cook for five minutes. Pour into a food processor and set aside.
Sauté the kidney or liver in two batches over high heat. They’re cook fast so you have to work quickly. Sear on each side for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp lard to the pan for each batch and sprinkle ¼ tsp salt as they cook.
When all the cook is cooked, add it to the food processor with the onion bacon mixture. Also add in the final tbsp of lard. Puree until nice and smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Scrap down the sides of the processor to make sure all is incorporated.
Store in mason jars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze any leftovers.

By Brittany

Sparkle Kitchen https://sparklekitchen.com/

20 Minute Meals, Breakfast, Dairy-free, Dessert, Dinner, Egg Free, Gluten-free, Grain-free, How-To, No sugar, Nut-Free, Paleo, Side Dish

Top Paleo Travel Foods

March is right around the corner and you know what that means?! Adult Spring Break! I think we all deserve a break after February to serve as a marker for transition into the new season. Especially after this snow-filled, icy cold winter. This year I have some exciting trips planned that include very long flights. To prepare, I made a list of all the travel foods I’ll need for the journey. When planning your vacation, it might be useful to refer to this 7 Top Canada Holidays read on Freedom Destinations.

Airport food has progressed a great deal in the last five years and you can actually find some healthy options. With a rise in quality there is also a rise in price. If you want to eat sushi or a grass-fed burger while waiting for your flight, be prepared to pay twice the standard amount. Food options on the flight are another story entirely. We all know those meals are pathetic to begin with so when you throw in dietary restrictions it downgrades even more. The options are: vegetarian, vegan or gluten free. I can only imagine their definition of these diets. To avoid hunger pains, I opt to pack my own meals.

Traveling it stressful enough. Prepare for the worst…extended layovers, sitting for hours on the tarmac, being rerouted to another city. We’ve all been there. Take along some of these options before your next flight.

Top Paleo Travel Foods:

1. Canned tuna, salmon, sardines or any seafood – I buy mine from Wild Planet Foods.

2. Plantian chips – Make sure they’re cooked in healthy oils. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Inka Chips are brands I like.

3. Apple chips with no added sugars

4. Chopped carrots

5. Avocados – Pack whole or pre-slice and package with the pit so it doesn’t brown.

6. Applegate Farms deli meats – All are casein free, dairy free and gluten free.

7. Pre-made guacamole – Organic Wholly Guacamole has single serving packs.

6. Coconut oil – Store in small twist top jars and inside a plastic bag to prevent leaking

7. Apples

8. Jerky and meat sticks – I like Steve’s Paleo Goods.

9. Fermented pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut – Real Pickles is a good option.

10. Smoked salmon

11. Fresh kale – Make kale, deli meat and guacamole roll-ups.

12. Dried fruit

13. Gelatin gummies – Try this recipe for Paleo Chamomile Jello from DigPrimal.com.

14. Chocolate – Make your own or Alter Eco and Equal Exchange are good options.

15. Coconut butter – For slathering onto the chocolate.

16. Macaroons – Hail Merry has a delicious assortment.